Greetings Will & List--
Have you tried running System Restore and restoring settings from a time before the power outage? If this doesn't work in normal mode, try it in safe mode. I was able to recover a laptop that would not boot into "Last known good configuration", and displayed the message that Windows could not start because the following file was missing or corrupted - C:\Windows\System32\Config\System-- but would boot to "safe mode". After doing so, I ran System Restore to December 23, 2004, and the computer was able to start.
I know it won't always work, but it's worth a try.
Good luck
Paul A. Shippert
-----------------------------------
and I'm hovering like a fly
waiting for the windshield on the
freeway." Genesis
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-------------- Original message --------------
> Hello all!
>
> I have a client with a two year old Dell, Windows XP Home SP2, plenty of HD
> space and 512 MB RAM, no network, cable internet access. AV (Nortons) up to
> date. A couple of days ago (after a power outage), the client got the
> following error message after rebooting: vsutil.dll caused a validation
> error. Although the internet and email worked, she could not get to her bank
> site. Her computer had also been getting slow over the past weeks. The
> Zonealarm icon in the system tray was gone, and trying to start ZA from the
> start menu brought up the vsutil.dll error message. So no way to turn ZA on
> or off. And I can't uninstall it!
>
> Here's what I did:
>
> 1. Got Adaware and Spybot up and running - they found nearly 1900 (yup, like
> the first year of the last century) nasties on the computer. Got rid of them
> all.
> 2. Downloaded ZA and tried to install. After clicking, got the error
> message, vsinit.dll caused a validation error in
> C:\Docume~1\[username]\main\temp. Clicked OK and nothing.
> 3. After a bunch more dithering (changing security levels in IE, SFC - and
> helping to back stuff up), she reinstalled SP2. No joy, and now both her
> email and internet don't work.
>
> Would anyone have any ideas of how to proceed from here?
>
> Thanks for your time and thought on this.
>
> Best,
>
> Will Stephenson
> Acadia Technologies Inc.
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
> There are as many paths to God as there are people to walk them.
>
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